Change Me
by Aria-wolfstar
Summary: Booth, it seems, can make Temperance change her mind on just about everything. After she finds out that one night can leave an imprint on life forever, especially with a soveneir, so to speak, can she accept what she's never really wanted? BB
1. The Truth

This is my first Bones fic. It's not the greatest…since it's my first. But I hope you can enjoy it nevertheless. And no, I dont own Bones. I would love feedback of all sorts and critiquing to let me know how I could improve. That would be great.

Enjoy.

Summary: Booth, it seems, can make Temperance change her mind on just about everything. After she finds out something about "one night" she finds out that it wont just be a mere memory, for it will come with a souvenir…but is it one that Bones can accept after a lifetime of not wanting?

Chapter One: The Truth

Her palms dug into the wooden corners of her cabinet as she stared down at the thin, stick like objects that were lined up in front of her sink. They all read the same thing - positive. Dr. Temperance Brennan reeled backward two steps, her hands unclenching from the cabinet as she sunk down against her bathtub. Her knees curled up against her chest, her hands draped uselessly across them as she stared blankly at the wall before her.

There was no way she could doubt the information presented before her, even if her brain, as well as her heart, wanted to. She hadn't wanted this…never wanted this. To bring a child into the world and then to provide it with the care it needed…she couldn't even deal with adults most of the time!

She stood up slowly, her body trembling from the burst of reality. As she left the room, she pushed the line of tests into the trash can next to the sink, having some small amount of satisfaction at hearing them clatter against one another as they hit the can; out of sight, but not out of mind.

Numbly, she grabbed a Yellow Pages from a drawer in the kitchen, flipping through it until she found the right number. Picking up her phone from its resting place, she dialed the number slowly, then brought it up to her ear, forcing herself to remain calm as the phone on the other end rung.

"Hello? Yes, good morning too you too…," she said, speaking into the phone with a strong voice that surprised even her, "Yes, I'm calling to see when your next free appointment is?…8:30?…Yes, no, that's fine…uh, yes, this is Temperance Brennan…yes, I'll see you in half an hour, thank you." She turned off the phone with a sigh, and reality came crashing into her once more. She was pregnant. Unwelcome tears slid down her face as she buried her face in her hands. At least she knew who the father was, without a doubt in her mind.

Forcing her tears to stop, she picked up the phone again, her fingers automatically dialing the next number. "Hey Ange," she said softly into the phone, "I'm going to be late for work today…yeah, I'm fine…I'll just, I'll be late, okay?…yeah, that would be great…thanks Ange."

She could hear the suspicion in her friend's voice, but at the moment, she had no means to care. Looking down at the clothes she was wearing, she decided that they were decent enough, and she headed for the door, scooping up her keys as she went. As her fingers touched the doorknob, memories from that night came back to her…

-Flashback-

_New Years Eve of that year found Brennan sitting at her coffee table, her fingers rhythmically flying over the keyboard as she worked on her next chapter for her third novel. It was halfway through said chapter when the knock on her door sounded. Heaving a sigh and doing a quick save so as to not loose her work, Brennan got up and pulled her door open._

_"Booth," she said in surprise, her eyebrows climbing her forehead. "What are you doing here?"_

_Said man hoisted a box up onto his hip before speaking. "Well, I was just driving by when I saw your lights on…"_

_"You saw my lights on from the road?"_

_"And I figured that you were probably all alone on New Years Eve instead of out celebrating…"_

_"Why would I be out? It's just the Earth finishing yet another complete orbit around the Sun, the same thing is going to happen next year…and the year after…"_

_"And since I figured it was such a special night," Booth continued, yet again ignoring Bones' interruption, "That maybe you'd like a little bit of company."_

_"Shouldn't you be at a _party_? Or with Parker?"_

_Booth touched a hand to his heart. "Bones, I'm hurt that you don't want to spend time with me," he mocked, and Temperance narrowed her eyes at him. He sighed, giving in, "Rebecca has Parker this year, and the party I was going to was going to be full of loud, drunk FBI agents that I wasn't looking forward to spending time with. Come on, Bones, don't tell me you've never stayed up for New Years Eve…"_

_She pressed her lips together, but the smile still wormed its way onto her lips. "Once," she admitted, bowing her head as she remembered the memory. "Russ convinced me to stay up with him, even though our parents had sent us to bed hours before…"_

_"See! If you've done it once you can do it again," Booth said. He grinned hopefully as he continued, wiggling his eyebrows, "I brought Chinese…"_

_Temperance considered him for a moment, watching as he begged silently with his eyes and smile. Finally, she stepped back, pulling the door open to let him pass. "Yes! Bones, you will not regret this," he said, pulling out a brightly colored cone shaped hat from the box on his hip and placing it on Brennan's head as he walked past._

XxX

That's the end of chapter one, I hope you enjoyed it! Like I said, not the best, but, eh? Please, stick around for more. Thanks for reading.

-Aria


	2. Decisions

Here's the next chapter, as promised. Longer than the first, I think, hope you enjoy the rest of the flashback. I do not own either Bones or Stargate (I borrowed a character for this, which is completely non related to the story, so you do not have to know Stargate to understand at all. It's a one time occurance and not a crossover.

And I just want to thank everyone for their encouragment with this story! I got more reviews than I truly thought I would! Thanks everyone!

Chapter Two: Decisions

_Last time: - Flashback - Temperance considered him for a moment, watching as he begged silently with his eyes and smile. Finally, she stepped back, pulling the door open to let him pass. "Yes! Bones, you will not regret this," he said, pulling out a brightly colored cone shaped hat from the box on his hip and placing it on Brennan's head as he walked past._

-Present-

"Dr. Brennan?" A young petite woman asked questioningly, bringing Temperance out of her past. "Dr. Fraiser is ready to see you now."

"Thank you," she said, responding with a small nod as she stood up. _You won't regret this_. Booth's words from that night ran through her mind and she snorted lightly. _How about now?_ She thought.

She entered the room tentatively, coughing slightly to get the attention of the woman in the doctors coat who was at the time studying something on her desk. She looked up, and smiled warmly at Brennan. "Dr. Brennan, hi, I'm Dr. Fraiser," she said, extending her hand. Temperance took it and studied the woman. Her deep brown hair, pulled back into a bun, with two strands that had worked themselves free framing her face, set off her brown eyes and her nice smile. Temperance couldn't help but to be put more at ease by her. "If you could take a seat…," she continued, waving to the table.

Brennan sat up on the corner, her hands grasping the sides of the table as she kicked her feet nervously. "We're going to run some routine tests first, and then I'm going to ask you some questions, and answer any you may have, okay?"

Temperance nodded. "Okay," she murmured.

-Flashback-

"_Booth, just because I let you in doesn't mean I'm going to wear this hat," Temperance said as she watched her college and friend put the box down on her table._

_He turned to face her and smiled pleadingly. "Aw, come on Bones, just this one night? I won't tell if you won't."_

_Brennan huffed and said nothing, but instead moved over to the box that he had abandoned. Curiously, she rifled through the various objects in it as he pulled out the food and began opening the lids, letting the aroma fill the air. When she pulled her hand out, she was holding an object, examining it. Booth looked up at her and smiled._

"_Ah, I see you found the noise makers. See, Bones, what you do is you…"_

_He was cut off as Brennan stuck the end of the object in her mouth and blew hard, so that a loud, elephant like noise was heard as a long stream of paper unfurled, licking Booth's cheek. "Did you have to do that in my ear?" he yelled, and Temperance laughed, her eyes sparkling. "Fine," he said, dipping his hand into the box and coming out with a similar object. "Lets see how much you like it, then." _

_Temperance laughed, holding up her hands and waving them to fend him off as he advanced, blowing into the object as he went, chasing her playfully around the room…_

-Present-

"Well the results came back clean, and there seem to be no complications as of yet. Can you tell me approximately when the baby was conceived?" the doctor asked, once more bringing Temperance back to the present.

"New Years Eve…Day…one of those," Brennan muttered, her gaze fixed on her shoes.

The doctor nodded, looking down at her clipboard. "That coincides with your due date – September 5. And you found out when?"

"This morning…"

"You don't sound too excited, if I may say so," Dr. Fraiser said, her eyebrows knitting together.

Brennan looked up at her and smiled weakly. "It's never really what I wanted," she explained.

-Flashback-

_An hour or two had lapsed since Booth's arrival, and the pair of them were sitting on the couch, their eyes affixed on the screen. _

"_I still don't see why you're making me do this," Brennan whispered, without looking at Booth._

_"It's a tradition," he whispered back._

_"It doesn't make any sense," Brennan said, raising her voice to a normal level. "I mean…"_

_She was cut off as Booth clamped a hand over her mouth. Muffled sounds were heard as she tried to protest. "Don't spoil it, Bones," he said, flicking his eyes to her for a moment before watching the screen. "Shh, here it comes." _

_His hand slipped from her mouth and into his lap. She remained quiet, and when he looked over at her he saw her watching the screen just as aptly as he was. For one who spoke of bogus traditions, he could see she was just as excited as he was._

_"Ten seconds to midnight," the voice wafted out from the computer screen._

_"Nine," Booth said, looking over to Bones. _

_"Eight," she replied, looking back at him and grinning._

_"Seven," he said, and he turned his body more._

_"Six," she did the same thing._

_"Five," he inched over a subtle amount._

_"Four," her eyes shimmered brightly._

_"Three," he felt his heart hammer in his chest._

_"Two," she murmured, allowing him to move closer._

_"One," they said together. Her eyes flicked to the screen for a moment in time to see the great silver ball lowering. A smile stretched across her lips. She felt a finger on her jawbone and the next thing she knew, her lips were pressed against Booths. For a moment, she resisted, but then she fell into his kiss._

_Moments later, he pulled back and studied her face. "Another tradition," he hurriedly tried to explain, but was cut off as she said, "I know."_

_He couldn't resist himself, he leaned forward a little bit, and she snaked her arms around his neck, her lips pressing against his greedily. Seconds later, he pulled away again, "Wait, Bones, don't you think…is this what you want?"_

_Panting, she paused a moment, and then she nodded, and he came back to her, hungrily pressing her lips against his. "Happy New Years, Bones," he said into her mouth._

-Present-

"May I inquire about the father?" Dr. Fraiser asked.

"He…we had a one night thing…we're friends…partners…" she looked up at the Doctor, "He doesn't know yet. I don't…I don't want to tell him."

Dr. Fraiser smiled sympathetically, and placed her hand gently on Brennan's shoulder. "There are other alternatives of course, which although I may not approve of, it isn't my choice."

Temperance looked up at her, her mind calculating the doctors words. "At three months, the brain isn't completely formed, and therefore some say that there is no conscious, so it's logical that abortion is not the murder of a fetus."

Dr. Fraiser nodded, folding her clipboard up against her chest. "Would you like me to make an appointment for you?"

"No," Temperance said hurriedly, holding up a hand. Even though this may not have been what she wanted, she knew that Booth's strict Christian religion did not approve of abortion. "No," she murmured again. She could always do adoption.

The doctor smiled. "I didn't think you would," she said. "But I would like to make an appointment with you for next month. Now, do you have any questions?" Brennan shook her head. "Well then, stop by to see Sherry at the receptionists desk and she'll set you up for some time next month and give you some vitamins I want you to start taking on your way out."

Temperance slid off of the bed. "Thank you," she said, shaking the doctors hand.

"Any time," the doctor responded. On an afterthought, as Brennan was almost out the door, she added, "Oh, and by the way…I love your book."

Temperance smiled her first real smile that day, however small it was. "Thanks."

* * *

Okay, so it was probably a little OOC, as will the rest of it be OOC too, but hey, given the circumstances...Anyways, I originally have six chapters, including both this one, the first one (and an epilogue), but I'm thinking about wheedling in more stuff. Depending on what I'm putting in, if I cant get it done today, updates after tomorrow may slow...but like I said, we'll see. I hope you liked the flashback moment, and of course, Temperance's decision XD

Thanks for your support!  
-Aria


	3. You look

Thanks guys, again, for all your support!

Chapter Three: You look...

The doors whooshed open to admit Dr. Brennan into the Jeffersonian. She stalked through them, and the first thing she saw was Booth leaning against the railing of the lab, waiting for her. At the sound of her footsteps, his head turned.

"Wow, Bones you look…" he began, worry etched across his face.

"Leave me alone, Booth," she replied angrily, brushing past him and heading for her office.

"But Bones, we have a case!" he yelled uselessly at her retreating back. His lips parted in confusion, he looked up at the dias where her "squints" had stopped their work, looking up at him and Bones curiously.

Angela, who had been standing behind Jack, peering over his shoulder at something on the computer screen, winced and took off at a trot after her college.

"Well, that was weird," Hodgins commented, looking down at Booth.

Booth nodded, his eyes still trained on where Brennan had been moments before. "You're telling me," he said.

Temperance threw her bag down on the floor in her office and collapsed into her seat, her elbows on the desk, her head in her hands. Of all the people she didn't want to see…why did he have to be here so early?

"Sweetie?" Angela's voice wafted tentatively from the door. "Can I come in?"

Temperance picked her head up to look at her friend and nodded lightly.

"Are you okay?" her friend asked, concern seeping into her voice and flowing across her face.

"I'm fine, Ange."

Angela moved so that she was sitting across the desk from her friend. She stared into her face, searching for answers. "Where were you this morning?"

"I told you, I was at an appointment."

Angela tilted her head and let out a sigh of breath. "Sweetie, we both know that there's something more than that."

Brennan looked down at her desk, shuffling some of the papers that lay there. "I know," she said.

"You can tell me."

Temperance looked up at her friend. "I can't…" she said. "Not now…"

Angela got up, moving around to place her hand on Brennan's shoulder. "Whenever you're ready."

Placing her hand over her friends, Temperance looked up, unshed tears shimmering in her eyes. "I will tell you Ange," she said.

"I know, sweetie, I know."

The pair of them walked out of Brennan's office together, some minutes later. Booth, who been impatiently tapping his fingers on the railing as he leaned against it, looked up once more. "Ah, finally," he said. "Come on, Bones, we have a case." He waited for the smile to break out on her face at the thought. Instead, Angela shot him a deadly glare, and he involuntarily took a step back.

"I'm not going," Temperance responded, swiping her card through the card reader as she and Angela trotted up the steps.

"But Bones…"

"I have other things I have to work on around the lab," she responded, not looking at him as she instead glanced around, studying the skeleton that was spread out across the table. "Take Zach."

Zach's head snapped up, and he looked at her, eyes wide. "But Dr. Brennan…"

"Bones, come on…a squint? What if I said I'd let you drive?"

"I already told you, I have things to do. Dr. Addy is quite capable of completing the same amount of field work that I can."

Booth sighed, sliding his own card through the card reader and trotting up the steps to land in front of Bones, on the other side of the table she was leaning over. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

Temperance looked up. "Nothing," she said, but her eyes suggested otherwise. "I told you I have things I have to finish."

He held her gaze for a few moments before sighing, and looking over to Zach, who was staring intently at the both of them, his eyes wide. "You," he said, pointing a finger at him, and crooking it, "You're with me."

"Me? I…"

"Come on, lets go," Booth replied curtly, making his way back down the steps, taking off at a fast pace for the car and leaving Zach to run after him, babbling as he did so.

Brennan looked up to see both Hodgins and Angela staring at her. "What?" she asked, directing her question more towards the former rather than the latter.

Hodgins opened his mouth to say something, but then reconsidered, closing it and shaking his head before looking back at the computer screen. "You know, he was really worried about you this morning when you didn't show up," Angela said, looking at Brennan.

Temperance blinked, her eyebrows creasing. "Booth? Didn't you tell him…"

"That you were going to be late? Yeah, I did, but still…"

Temperance said nothing in response, but merely looked back to the body. _How am I going to deal with this_? She thought.

XXx

Another end to another chapter. I hope you didn't find Booth heartless or anything, because that's not what I was going for. Anyway, next chapter might be a little slow on the update, depending on what I'm doing. It's really short as of now, shorter than this (which is short, I didnt realize that at first x.x) but I'm probably going to go back and add more. Since none of this is written from experience...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Sorry it was short, I'll try and make up for it tomorrow! (I have a dentists appointment today, so depending on how that goes I may/may not edit the next chapter which may/may not effect tomorrow).

You know I just said the same thing like twenty different times!

Thanks for reading,

-Aria


	4. Telling

Thanks, guys, for all your support! I edited this chapter last night, so it's a little longer...not much. It's not really anything exciting though. Enjoy!

Chapter Four: Telling

One month later

Brennan walked out of Dr. Goodman's office dejectedly off in search of her best friend. Telling the director why she would be taking a leave for the next several months (although she had promised that she could do work at home, an offer which the director had readily agreed to, for lack of knowing the complete situation) had been a difficult task in itself. Telling Angela, she knew, would be one that proved to be even more difficult. She winced at the mere thought.

"Hey, Bones, we've got a case!" Booth's voice rang out from the other side of the Jeffersonian.

Brennan turned slowly, to face him, and watched as he came trotting over to her, a case file in hand. She sighed, and ran her fingers through her hair. "Can it wait until after lunch?"

"Yeah, sure, Bones," Booth said, his eyebrows knitting together as he looked down at his watch in surprise. He looked back up to the anthropologist, only to see her features laced with sorrow. He knew then, as he had suspected for the past month or so, that she had been hiding something from him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "You okay?"

"Fine," she replied, doing her best to force a small smile, but her eyes said otherwise. "I just need to talk to Angela," she said. Booth felt a small twinge of hope – at least she would be telling someone what was bothering her, he was sure of that. The hope was soon replaced with a small twinge of disappointment and…perhaps jealousy…that it wasn't him she was talking to. But then again…girl stuff, he shuddered as Brennan continued, "I'll meet you after lunch, okay?"

He nodded solemnly, his eyes searching her face for a truth. "I'll see you then," he said, nodding at her as she lifted a hand in a feeble wave and turned, heading towards her friend's office down the hall. He watched her retreating back as he tried to figure her out.

"Hey, Ange," Temperance said, waiting just inside the door of the office, watching Angela's fingers slide across the keyboard as she focused on something on the computer screen. "Do you want to go for lunch?"

Angela took in a breath of air. "I can't sweetie, Jack and I already made…" she stopped as she turned around to face her friend and saw the disappointment clearly strewn across her face. "But you know what?" she continued, "I'm sure he'd much rather have dinner instead."

"Are you sure?" Temperance asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she bit at the bottom of her lip. "Because I wouldn't want to…"

Angela got up, grabbing her coat from the back of her chair. Many times she had tried to get her friend to let her in, but each time Temperance had refused. If this was finally going to be her chance, she knew Jack would understand. "Positive," she said, draping her arm over Temprance's shoulders as the walked out of the room together.

As they passed the small lab in the center of the Jeffersonian, Angela paused to call out to her boyfriend, "Hey, babe, I'm catching lunch with Brennan today."

Hodgins swung around in his seat, his face masked with confusion and a few lines of hurt. "But, Ange," he began, but stopped at the sharp look Angela directed at him. Swallowing, he let his eyes wander to Dr. Brennan, who lately had been a source of worry for all of her friends. He looked back to Angela, who's eyes pleaded with him, and he nodded, "Have a good time," he said. I hope you bring back our Dr. Brennan, he thought.

"I will," she replied, blowing him a kiss. "I'll make it up to you at dinner, I promise." Hodgins grinned at the thought and Angela turned back to Temperance. "See, I told you he wouldn't mind," she said, grinning.

XxX

"So, Sweetie, is there something you want to talk about?" Angela asked after the waitress left with their order.

Temperance took a deep breath, thinking it was now or never. "I'm taking a sabbatical, for a few months," she said, grabbing her water and taking a sip to avoid Angela's gaze. Angela's face was a mask of shock. Before she could ask the question, Temperance pressed on, "Do you remember what I told you about New Years Eve?" Angela nodded, remembering strongly as her friend has called her up the next day, and Brennan continued once more, "How you said that even though we didn't use 'protection' that I'd be fine?"

Angela nodded once more, and then her eyes widened in shock, and her hand flew to cover her lips. "Oh, sweetie, you're not…"

Temperance looked down into her drink before looking up again. "I'm pregnant, yes."

"Does Booth know?" Angela asked, snaking her hand across the table to place it across Brennan's. Her mind was reeling at the very thought.

"No, and you can't tell him!" Temperance exclaimed, her eyes wild with fear at the thought.

"Sweetie…"

"No, he doesn't have to know! I know it's his right to, Ange, but I can't tell him," she said, and then paused. Angela gripped her hand in silence and allowed Brennan to go on, "I never wanted this…I…" tears were welling in her eyes, some of them sliding down her cheeks.

Angela got up from her seat across the table and moved to drape her arms over her friend's shoulders. "I know, sweetie," she murmured, patting the back of Temperance's head as she cried on her shoulder. "I know…"

* * *

I know it's a little sad...I'm contemplating adding maybe two more chapters? Where she goes on sabbatical (though I do cover it briefly in the chapter after) and Booth's reaction. Opinions? Anyone? Please? If you have any other suggestions, they would be extremly appreicated.

Also, I want to thank my anonymous reviewers:

Fanfictionmonster - Thanks, I'm glad you think so!

Ponies - Thanks, I'm glad you like it! I'm glad you like my style too! As someone who wants to write at least semi-professionally, that means a lot (even if it's just a fanfic and not a story that I'm writing!)

And thank you to Jen, my anonymous chapter 1 reviewer (sorry I never posted a thank you earlier!)!

Thanks for reading,

-Aria 


	5. Possibilities

Wow, so this is a new cahpter that I had originally planned but hadn't written and went back and wrote. Hehe, I'm glad I did too :D I was so excited to post it.

Chapter Five: Possibilities

Temperance arrived in the middle of the afternoon the next day. Getting out of her car, she sighed, observing the house before her. So this is where he lived – not too bad, she had to admit. She walked up the steps and rapped quietly on the door, which opened quickly, as if he had been waiting for her all morning.

"Tempe," Russ breathed when he saw her standing there. Quickly he ushered her inside. "I got your phone call. What's wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

As he talked, he led her down the main hallway to a living room on the left. Her eyes fell momentarily on a table next to the television, which had a picture of her, him and their parents on it, as well as the marble that she had returned to him. Digesting his question, she s

hook her head. "I just wanted a break," she lied, her eyes still scanning the room to avoid Russ' gaze. He placed her down on a sofa, and sat beside her.

"No," he said, narrowing his eyes. "There's something more, isn't there?" He already knew that she needed a place to stay for a while she was in town, and even though it hadn't been too long ago that she finally let him back into her life, he still knew that something was wrong.

She lowered her head, looking at her hands folded in her lap. "Russ…"

"Tempe, tell me," he growled lightly, taking her hands in his. "You know you can tell me anything."

She took a deep breath, and he rubbed her hands supportively. Finally, she let it out, and said softly, "I'm pregnant."

First there was the feeling of joy…his little baby sister? But then, realizing the fact that she was here telling him, his mouth went dry. Something wasn't right. "And the father?" he croaked.

"Doesn't matter," Temperance responded lightly. He already had his suspicions.

"What are you planning on doing?" Russ asked lightly.

Taking a shuddering breath, Temperance spoke only one word, "Adoption."

He nodded slowly, imagining his sister's dislike for that option. While she had once told him she never wanted children of her own (although he always hoped she would change her mind) and he knew that adoption wasn't her favorite choice because of the foster system she had been put through, he also knew that abortion wouldn't be right for her either.

She looked up at him for the first time, her eyes wide and child like – pleading, even. "I can stay with you," she asked, "Right?"

Russ sighed and pulled her into a strong embrace. His heart felt crushed for the pain his baby sister had to endure. "Of course you can," he murmured, holding her as

The ruin was promptly ruined, however, when two young girls came barreling into the room, laughing as they jumped on the couch next to Russ, who had separated from embracing his sister at the sound of the noise. Behind the girls trailed a woman about Temperance's age, with shoulder length blonde hair and vibrant green eyes.

"I'm sorry," she panted slightly, smiling apologetically at Russ and his sister. "I tried to tell them not to bother you but…"

"It's okay," Russ and Temperance chorused. Russ looked at Temperance with a smile as the blonde girl made her way over and as he hoisted one of the two young girls, a girl of about eight with brown hair cropped short, onto his lap, "Temperance, I'd like you to meet Liz, my fiancée, Liz, this is my sister, Tempe."

Temperance took Liz's hand in greeting as her eyes skyrocketed. "Fiancée?" she asked. When she looked to her brother, she saw his face radiating with happiness.

"It just happened recently," Liz explained.

"I was going to call you to tell you, but after your phone call…" Russ added. He trailed off as the girl on his lap clutched at his shirt. He smiled lovingly down at her.

"These are my girls," Liz said as she looked at Temperance. "Maggie, who's eight," she said gesturing to the girl on Russ' lap, "And Grace – four," she said, pointing to the young girl, with long, curly blonde hair who was sitting on the couch between Russ and Temperance, clutching a doll as she observed Temperance.

"Girls," Russ continued, "Meet your Aunt Tempe."

They both babbled their greetings, and Temperance smiled at them and nodded. She looked down when she felt Grace poking at her thigh tentatively. When Temperance looked down patiently, she asked, "Do you want to play dolls with us?"

"Uh…I don't know if I'm qualified to…" Temperance began, and Liz and Russ jumped in to try and explain that Auntie Tempe had had a long drive, but Grace only stared up at her with her blue eyes shimmering with plea. Maggie left Russ' lap to try and help her sister convince their new aunt to play dolls.

"Please?" they both asked at the same time.

"I…uh…" Temperance swallowed and looked down at the both of them. She smiled tentatively, "I guess I could try…" she said, and the second the words were out of her mouth the girls yelled in triumph and grabbed her hands, pulling her off of the couch and towards the room. She looked back over her shoulder to smile at Russ who was still trying to call the girls off.

When she left the room, Liz sat down next to Russ, taking his hand in hers. "She seems sweet," she said sincerely.

Russ nodded, "She is."

"But?" Liz asked. The fact that he had been worried about her when she had called and the look on his face now both confirmed that there was something more going on.

"Well, you see," Russ said, and promptly began explaining his sisters predicament.

XxX

Booth jogged in through the doors of the Jeffersonian, case file in hand as he hummed a happy tune. A new case – especially this one – would cheer Bones up, he thought. He reached the center lab, swiped his car and took the steps two at a time.

His eyebrows furrowed together when he saw no sight of Temperance. "Hey guys, where's Bones?" he asked, his voice causing the three squints, who had been standing around a computer monitor together, to look up. Their eyes – mostly Angela's and Hodgins – resembled that of deer caught in the headlights. He felt his heart thud once against his chest. "Well?"

XxX

Temperance walked back into the living room sometime later. "They fell asleep," she explained, jerking her thumb back in the direction she had come from.

The couple nodded in understanding, and Russ gestured to the couch solemnly. Temperance seated herself tentatively. "Liz and I have been talking," Russ said quietly.

"And we have a proposition for you," Liz picked up, her green eyes focused warmly and sympathetically on Temperance.

* * *

So I remembered in "The Woman In Limbo" Russ said the girl he was seeing had two daughters. So that's where that came from. Hope you guys enjoyed that...evil cliffy, huh?

* * *

**Ponies**: Okay so this probably isnt what you were thinking of...but do me a favor and just hang on for a few more chapter, and I promise you that you wont be disappointed...I think...Just wait and see XD (p.s. I'm a stickler for happy endings too ) Thanks for read/reviewing!! 

K. - Hmmn, well seeing as I've never been through the experience myself and I was just trying to, you know, make it sound good for fiction...sorry I didnt do the reasearch earlier. Not everything in a story has to go by the rulebooks.

Haley - Too late. Already continue. If you have a problem with that, then just dont read. The least you could have done was tell me why not to continue. Since you didnt bother to tell me why or offer any other criticism, I really dont give a crap about your opinion.


	6. Possibilities Continued

Last time: "Guys, where's Bones?"

"We have a proposition for you."

Now:

"Russ told me about your situation," Liz continued, "And that you're planning on adoption. However," she paused, looking at Russ, "We were thinking…"

Russ picked up for her, "After we got married, Liz and I were planning on having a child of our own," he explained, "But we were talking about it and we'd like to adopt your baby."

"If you don't change your mind," Liz said hastily. Seeing that Temperance was about to comment on that point, she pushed forward, "I myself was in that situation in high school," she said. "It was the day of the birth that I had changed my mind about adoption, but by then it was too late," she said, her voice softening, "They never even let me see my son. They just…took him away," for a moment she stared wistfully into space, but then she continued talking, "We wanted to give you the chance to change your mind."

"And if you don't, at least you know where your child will be," Russ said. "I'd be happy to raise my sister's child, rather than wondering where in the world my niece or nephew is and if he or she is safe."

"And you wont have to decide until after its born," Liz added.

"So what do you say, Tempe?" Russ prompted.

Temperance felt the tears that had been rising in her eyes ever since the beginning break through as she nodded. She didn't have to worry anymore. Not about if she was making the wrong decision, if maybe she would love the child, if she maybe wanted to go through with it. If not then she could still see him or her, be involved in his or her life, and most importantly, know that he or she was in loving hands. She was vaguely aware of a pair of arms wrapping themselves around her shoulder, and a pair of hands grabbing her own as she sobbed.

XxX

"She's gone," Zach said, throwing his hands up in the air in puzzlement. "Dr. Goodman just told us that she'd be going on sabbatical for a few months. She never even told us…"

Standing next to him, Angela let out a whoosh of air as she silently thanked God that Zach, the only innocent one of the three, had jumped on the answer, sparing her and Jack the trouble of trying to lie.

"She WHAT?" Booth roared, and Angela and Hodgin's winced. Zach was mostly unaffected as he too was still in shock at his mentors disappearance. Booth turned away for a moment to grip the railing behind him, his shoulders hunched. "She never told…never hinted…" Booth was vaguely aware of the fact that his breathing resembled that of a bull on a rampage.

"Booth…" Angela said softly.

"Where is she?" Booth asked, rounding on her, his eyes fierce.

"I don't know," Angela replied. It wasn't completely a lie. After all, she didn't know exactly where Russ lived.

Booth held her gaze for a moment before he dropped it and stalked away, in the direction of Brennan's office. The others watched him go before sharing a look of sympathy with one another. Even Zach, who was mostly clueless, had seen a little of the spark between Booth and Brennan over time.

XxX

Temperance sat on the edge of the bed in the spare room and took out her cell phone. She flipped it open and hit the second number on her speed dial, and raised the phone to her ear. For some reason, she felt strangely…excited, and rather free, as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders.

When the recipient of the phone finally answered, she said chipperly, "Angela, guess what…"

XxX

Booth sat in Brennan's chair with his elbows on her desk, his hands cradling his head as his fingers raked through his hair. He felt…betrayed. He had been tempted to search through her office for any trace of where she might have been. He had been planning on it, actually, until he walked through the door.

Her presence was still there, in that room, and he suddenly knew that nothing would be there, and that if he looked, he would only feel as if he were violating her privacy, and that no matter where she was she would somehow appear behind his shoulder and start yelling at him to get out of her stuff. No, she was too smart to have left anything behind. If she had wanted him to have known, she would have told him. And that led him to the feeling of betrayal.

On her desk was a copy of the manuscript of her second book. He flipped it open, his eyes once again landing on the dedication that resided there. If she had valued their relationship enough to dedicate her book to him…then why couldn't she tell him this?

Sighing, he got up and walked out of her office, heading back towards where the squints were. As he approached, he heard a cell phone ring, and Angela's voice as she answered it, then moments later, "That's fantastic news, sweetie!"

His heart leaped. Was she talking to Bones? He picked up his pace and made his way up to where Angela was standing, hovering nearby. "Is that Bones?" he mouthed. Angela waved her hand and turned away from him, her facial expression enough to tell him that she was bothered by the interruption (and not upset at him).

"So now you have time to reconsider," Angela said. A grin stretched across her face. "That's great…"

Booth moved around so he was in front of Angela again. "Is that Bones?" he asked loudly, his face hopeful.

Temperance heard Booth's voice ring out through the phone line. "_Is that Booth?" _she asked, her heart thudding against her chest. He sounded pissed.

"Yeah," Angela said, still trying her best to shoo Booth away.

"_Ange, I've got to go, okay?_"

"Sweetie…" Angela said, frustration creeping into her voice. She knew her friend was running from Booth. "Maybe you should…"

"_I have to go Angela, I'll tell you move later_."

"Can I talk to her?" Booth asked as he watched Angela keep talking.

Temperance heard Booth ask the question, and her heartbeat quickened. "_I promise to keep you updated_," she said into the phone. "_Just don't tell Booth."_

"Sooner or later…" Angela began, slapping Booth's hand away as he made a grab for the phone.

"_I'll tell him eventually, Ange, just not yet."_

"Okay…" Angela said reluctantly, glaring at Booth as she turned away from him once more. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"_I will, Ange. Thanks,_" Temperance said, and promptly ended the call by flipping the phone shut.

Booth glared at Angela as she flipped her phone shut. Before he could speak she said, "She had to go," and turned and walked back to her office. When she looked over her shoulder, she saw Booth fumbling for his cell phone. She watched as his shoulders drooped when he doubtless reached her voice box. Angela wished she could tell him…but she also knew it was none of her business. Sighing, she went back to work, hoping that Temperance would keep tell him sooner rather than later.

XxX

Booth felt all his resolve crash when he reached the automated voice message system. So she was ignoring him then. Sighing, he put his phone back in his pocket.

He sighed and his thoughts were directed towards New Years Day, when he'd woken up tangled with her beneath her sheets. He had watched her for a moment, then kissed her awake. She had taken her time to wake up, and then, when she finally saw him, her eyes were suddenly filled with fear. He had smiled gently at her, knowing her instinct to run, and had taken her out for breakfast where he had silently let her know that he didnt expect anything more from her...even if he wanted it. He had given her her space, and she had stayed.

While she hadn't excactly stayed _with _him, she didn't run away from him...until, it seemed, recently. After that night, they had gone back to their partnership, yet there was always a hint of something more there. But what surprised Booth the most about that was that she didnt seem to mind it. Until...of course recently.

But he had a feeling, one that he couldnt explain and credited to the depression he felt at the moment...that if he gave her her space, as he had the last time, she would come back to him. In time, maybe she would open up. Until then, he would let her go. If she did come to him, he thought, he would be there for her…even if he first gave her a piece of his mind.

XxX

Temperance looked sadly down at the phone even after it stopped ringing. He would give up sooner or later, she knew. Unconsciously, her hand moved to her stomach as she realized that she would have to tell him before it was too late. She took a shuddering breath.

But she just couldn't do that.

At least…not yet.

* * *

Haha, I know it's not exactly what you wanted but...the **next **one is the one you've all been waiting for!!! So yeah, this chapter was sad...and the phone convo was difficult to write since I was working with three people. And the explination of the night after from booths POV isnt that great but ANYWAY, I hope you all still enjoyed it.

**NOTE: **I will be away today and tomorrow, but I SHOULD have the interent, which isnt quite a guarantee (my laptop gets temperemental) so tomorrow may/may not have an update. Two more chapters though people!

**Ponies: **I dunno how much Russ was portrayed in here...because like you said, I didnt really know his chara because we never got a view of him. There's two more chapters left, including an epilogue, as of right now. And as to one of the kids being sick...not sure! Not even sure how far they went with them...I didnt catch the beginning of season two, only the ends...sooo...I'm glad you like it and I want to thank you for your continual reviews!


	7. Finding Out

Well here it is ladies and gentleman, the moment we've been waiting for. Hope it's not too sappy or out of chara. Like I said, first fic, not my best. Enjoy! This chapter makes me so happyyyyyyyyy. I'm sad that this story is almost over :( I want to thank everyone for their reviews and interest, you have all meant a lot to me!

Chapter Five: Finding Out

_One Month Later_

Brennan looked up at the apartment building which she stood in front of, and took a deep breath. For the past month, she had been living with her brother, his fiancee and their two daughters. They had given her the opportunity to change her mind about the child by letting her to take the time, until the birth or past if necessary, to decide what she wanted to do. If she still vouched for adoption, they had volunteered to take the child in themselves.

Perhaps it was the fact that she was able to stop thinking about what a horrible mother she would be for putting her child in the adoption program, or perhaps it was the fact that she was in an environment with two young girls, or maybe because she knew that's what her brother and her sister-in-law-to-be knew all along, but somehow, she had changed her mind. And that is how she found herself suddenly standing in front of the door. She looked down at her appearance. For the most part, her larger shirt and light coat covered her stomach, which was only bulging slightly at five months.

Taking a breath, she knocked on the door. Moments later, it opened, revealing a shocked looking Booth. "Bones…" he said quietly, his voice slightly hoarse with shock. His hand was placed across the doorframe as he stared at her, his face clearly showing surprise.

"Can we talk?" she asked, playing with her hands infront of her nervously. Her throat felt as dry as his seemed, and for a moment she felt like turning and running, but she steadied herself. As Angela kept telling her...this had to be done.

Suddenly the shock gave way to anger, and for a moment, Temperance thought Angela had told him her secret. "You disappear for a month, Bones, and now you want to talk?" he spat. "Why didn't you think about _talking_ before you left? Or, for that matter, when I called you!?"

He turned his back and strode back into the apartment angrily, leaving the door open. Temperance walked in slowly and shut the door just behind her, not wanting their argument to carry over to the neighbors. "Booth…"

"No, Temperance, I don't want to here it," he said, and she winced at the purposeful evasion of her nickname. His back was still turned to her as he fiddled with something on his table. "I gave you plenty of chances to _talk_ but you never took any of them. You didn't even tell me where you were going!"

She chewed her inner lip, and a way of guilt flashed over her as she saw his hurt. "Booth, I…"

"Angela knew you were gone, Hodgins knew, Dr. Goodman knew - and I'm pretty sure they all knew where you were and why - Zach knew and I came in the next morning after our case to look for you but you were _gone,_ Temperance."

"Booth, I'm pregnant," she yelled finally, angry herself, interrupting his rant, knowing nothing else she could say or do would affect him. After all, it would all lead to the same point in the end...so why not be blunt? She saw his entire body tighten at her words. More quietly she murmured, as anger gave way to something else, "You're the father."

He whipped around at her second words, his lips slightly parted as he stared at her, his eyes wide. "Are you sure?" he croaked, oogling at her.

"There was no one else," she whispered, looking him straight in the eye as she said it, then breaking her eye contact as his gaze became too much and staring at the wall next to her. She looked at the door over her shoulder. "Maybe I should…" she began, but was cut off.

Booth had left where had been standing earlier, and in three strides he was standing before her, looking down on her intently. She felt her breath catch in her chest. She hadnt been this close to him in...what felt like forever. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and unsure. "Bones," he murmured, and then he took one more step forward, his right and catching the back of her head for support as he fiercely planted his lips on hers, his left hand finding the small of her back, pressing her slightly bulging stomach against his flat, muscular one.

She felt her heart hammering against her ribcage at his sudden motions. Her hands went up to his face, one hand raking through his hair, the other one resting against his cheek. She felt tears welling in her eyes by the time they broke apart. Booth rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his hands on her shoulders as they both breathed heavily.

"Booth," she whispered, "I…" but it was all too much, and the barrier broke, tears tumbling down her cheeks. Quickly, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into a gentle but firm embrace as he shushed her gently. She clung to him desperately for some minutes. Slowly, he guided her to the couch, where they sat facing each other, her legs lightly brushing against his, her hands clasped in his. When she looked up at him again, she saw the two small rivulets of tears streaming down his face.

"I thought you never wanted kids," he murmured, looking at her, puzzled.

"I didn't," she admitted, looking down to where her hands were interlaced in his. "Which is why I…"

"Ran," he said, finishing her thoughts for her. She nodded, not meeting his gaze. "Were you ever going to tell me that I had fathered a child?" he asked.

Temperance shook her head. "Russ and Liz were going to adopt it," she said. She lifted her gaze to examine his face, which had hurt scrawled across it. "I'm sorry," she murmured, and she felt on the edge of tears, looking down again.

Booth's hands left hers, and the sudden lack of warmth and support sent her over the edge as tears rolled down her cheeks. Two fingers tipped her chin up, and she looked up to see Booth inches away from her face as he gazed into her eyes. "Is this what you want?" he asked softly.

Involuntarily, Brennan's hands flew supportively to her abdomen, a movement that did not go unnoticed by Booth. "Yes," she whispered breathlessly.

Booth's fingers dropped and he caught her hand again. He leaned close, and for a moment Temperance thought he would kiss her again, but instead he rocked back to look at her. "What made you change your mind?"

A blush rose to her cheeks and she bowed her head. "The fact that it was yours," she responded. "Suddenly…that's what I wanted…"

When she looked back up again, she saw an emotion that she didn't recognize across his face. A goofy, lopsided grin was forming on his lips. Then it slipped away as memories of Rebecca and his…vague…legal rights of Parker flooded him. "What do you want from me?" he asked. For all he knew she had just made an informative social call.

Surprise flickered across her face. "I want you to be a part of this," she said. "But if you don't want…"

She was silenced as he pressed his fingers against her lips. His face was stern and serious as he looked her in the eyes. "Never think I don't want to be a part of this, Bones," he said, "Ever." She nodded into his hand and he let it slip away.

Silently, he stood, running his hands through his hair. He heaved a sigh, and then turned around to face Temperance. "Will you move in with me?" he asked, tentatively. When the shock rolled across her face, he continued hurriedly, "You can sleep in the guest room if you'd prefer," he said, "But I just…I want to be there for you, all the time," he said softly.

Temperance cocked her head to the side, then smiled. "Okay," she said.

"Okay?" Booth asked, taking the steps back to the couch.

"Okay," Temperance said, laughing, "But I think we've already moved past the separate bedrooms."

Booth sat down next to her and caught her head in his hands, stroking her cheeks lightly before kissing her fiercely. She responded passionately, her hands coming up to twine in his hair. She pulled away with a slight, "oh," of pain.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows twisted together in worry.

As an answer, she caught his hand with a slight smile and interlaced his fingers with hers, guiding his hand to her stomach. After a moment, he felt a slight but definite thud against his palm.

"I believe," Temperance said as she saw the smile cross his face, "That your baby is kicking."

He looked up at her with a large grin at the words _your baby_. Leaning forward, he kissed her on her forehead lightly. "Thank you, Bones," he whispered, "For letting me be a part of this."

XxX

Epilogue is the only thing left now. The **epilogue **should be up tomorrow. If it's not, I'm adding more chapters in between, and since I'm not at home today, I don't have time to type them. Anyway, please, what did you think of this chapter? Oh and also, dont think the whole "What do you want from me" was meant to be harsh, but it was the only word phrasing that I liked to fit in that spot. Aww, so cute though, isnt it? Out of chara...by a LONG shot but still!

**Ponies: **Haha, so now did it go where you wanted it to go? And yes, I have two, well one strong idea and one vague idea lined up for Bones, so expect those sometime after this! Thanks for your continual reviewing, I'm glad you like my style so much!

**Juliet: **Thanks, glad you like it! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Jassmie**: Thanks, I'm glad you like it! If you do something unconciously, you're doing it without thinking, its not concious thought. That's all, hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	8. Epilogue

**Due to **exhaustion and the want of writing a new story, there will be no chapters between last one and the epilogue. Sorry guys... I do have four stories lined up (two one shots and a full lenght and one thats still in question) that are ready to be written now though...so they'll probably be up sometime this week? Hopefully.

Enjoy this epilouge! SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT! I had to edit some things which I couldnt do this morning because of work.

Epilogue – Four Months Later

Temperance smiled tiredly down at the small toddler that was placed in her arms, then up at Booth, who hovered over her anxiously. She grinned at him, and he grinned back at her, his smile seemingly stretching from ear to ear as his heart swelled with pride. He gently pushed a stray strand of sweat soaked hair out of Temperance's face. 

"Would you like to hold your daughter, Booth?" Temperance asked, shifting the baby girl in her arms.

"Of course," Booth said, reaching down to carefully cradle the young girl in his arms. As he looked down at her, making a cooing sound and rocking gently, Temperance looked up, admiring the pair, and amazing herself at the feeling. Her thoughts carried her back to a few months ago, and the events following when she had showed up on Booth's doorstep.

She had stayed over his house that weekend, during which they had the time to reconnect and push through the tough times that had been initiated during the month when she had disappeared. They sat and talked, or watched TV and read, or just sat silently. During some of the times, when he thought she wouldn't see him, Brennan would catch Booth smiling at her with a warm glow of pride and happiness stretched across his face. It was the same look that was there whenever she let him feel the baby kicking, or just resting his hand on her stomach in general, or when they talked about the future.

It was also the same one that had been on his face the first night, when she slept in his room. He had held her in a tight embrace, pressing himself against her and letting her hair drift in front of his nose as his hand lay on her abdomen. It was almost as if he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear again. She had placed her hand over his and squeezed his fingers lightly, and she had felt him relax then.

It was those moments that she felt her heart flutter, and she knew that she had done the right thing. One of the most difficult times throughout the months had been announcing to their friends the nature of their relationship.

_"Are you ready?" Booth asked as the car came to a stop in front of the Jeffersonian._

_ She looked at him with a nervous smile. "I guess," she said. _

_He grinned his trademark smile at her and got out of the car, moving around to the other side to open the door and help her out. She glared at him in protest pertaining to his "alpha-male-ness" but had let him help her nonetheless. They walked up to the doors of the Jeffersonian together, where, as they stepped through and she drew closer to him unconsciously, he slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close. _

_She looked up at him with a confused look and when he smiled down at her comfortingly, bending his head for a second to place a kiss on her forehead and she tentatively brought her arm up to rest on his back. _

_They had walked like that to center of the Jeffersonian, where the three "squints" were at work. Zach, turning around to examine a skeleton, was the first to see them._

_"Dr. Brennan," he said, his voice flat from shock. "You're…back."_

_Hodgins spun around in his chair to look for himself. When he saw how they were standing, a grin broke out across his face, "With Booth nonetheless," he said, crossing his arms over his chest._

_Angela's head snapped up, and she let out a squeal of excitement. "Does this mean that you told him?" she asked, looking at their embrace. _

_"Told him what?" Zach asked, clueless. _

_Temperance looked at them all and said shyly as a blush rose to her cheeks, "We have an announcement to make."_

_Booth took over for her. "Bones and I," he said, looking down at her, his gaze overflowing with love, "Are having a baby." _

_Angela looked to Temperance for confirmation, and Brennan nodded. Angela grinned and trotted down the steps, throwing her arms first around her friend, then Booth, who's eyes widened in surprise as he awkwardly patted her back. Before he knew it, Bones was being taken away from him as Angela lead her off chattering about shopping and names and the like, leaving him with the squints…_

Just then, a bright flash filled the room. Temperance, snapped out of the memory, looked up startled, only to see Hodgins with a camera in his hands, grinning, Angela standing beside him and Zach standing right behind them with Russ at his side.

"Was that really necessary," Booth asked, looking up from his daughter with a glare and Hodgins just shrugged. Angela rolled her eyes and walked over to Booth.

"May I?" she asked, holding her hands out. Reluctantly Booth shifted the baby to Angela. "She's gorgeous, Bren," Angela said, grinning down at the child, then up to her best friend.

Hodgins looked at Angela with a twitch of a smile, and murmured softly, "I guess you'll be wanting one now." He shook his head slightly, a smile on his face, and turned to Booth, clamping a hand on the man's shoulder, "Congratulations, man," he said, and Booth nodded.

Angela turned around to where Zach was standing right behind her, looking at the baby over her shoulder. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I'd drop her," he said, holding his hands up.

"Go on, Zach," Temperance said from the bed, smiling gently, "I trust you."

At the praise from his mentor, Zach warily took the baby girl in his arms. He smiled contently at the young girl, and then looked up at the others in triumph – he hadn't dropped her. He held her for a few more moments before he passed her on to Russ.

Taking the child, Russ asked, "Does she have a name, Tempe?"

Temperance looked up to Booth and then back to her brother. "Ruth Joy," she said. The others in the room nodded in solemn approval, each one of them knowing the significance of both names.

Booth cleared his throat, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "Can we have a moment?" he asked, and the others nodded. Russ moved to his sister's bedside to hand back their daughter. Another flash filled the room momentarily.

"Angela!" Temperance exclaimed, identifying the culprit.

Angela shrugged with a smile. "I just never thought I'd see the day when Temperance Brennan would be holding her own daughter," she said.

"Thanks, Ange," Temperance said sarcastically, but Angela only shrugged and let Hodgins guide her out of the room.

Russ stayed behind for a second to kiss his sister on the forehead. "I knew you'd change your mind," he said softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing it gently. "Congratulations, Tempe."

"Thanks, Russ," she said, smiling at her brother as he, too, left her to be alone with her child's father.

Booth coughed again, and held out a box to Temperance. "I, uh, I got this for you," he said. Temperance waved her hands from underneath of the child's sleeping mass, and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, right," he said, stepping forward to remove their daughter from her arms and place her in the small bed nearby, where he stared down at her for a moment, basking in her presence before turning to Temperance and handing her the box.

Temperance opened it slowly, fearing what was inside. Her suspicions were both confirmed and disproved as she saw the object. It was a silver ring, one that showed two hands encircling a diamond heart which held a crown on the top of it. "It's…gorgeous," she said softly.

Booth sat on the corner of the bed, taking Temperance's hand in his own. "I know how you feel about marriage," he said, looking her in the eye as he took the ring from her. "And I want you to know that this ring isn't about that, it's about our friendship, our loyalty, and our love. And it's a promise, Bones, that I'll always be there for you," he watched as her eyes clouded over as he slipped the ring, crown facing out, onto the first finger of her left hand.

She smiled a watery smile at him, and he leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her lips, before moving to sit next to her, letting her head rest against his chest. "Booth," she murmured softly.

"Hmmn?"

"Will you marry me?" she asked, looking up into his chocolate eyes. She saw the shock radiate from out of them. He placed his arms on her shoulders so that he could move her and see her fully.

"I thought you thought marriage was pointless," he said softly.

"You seem to have a way of changing my mind," she said, grinning. She looked down as a blush rose to her cheeks. "Which is one of the reasons I love you," she said, saying the words to him for the first time.

"You do?" he asked softly.

"I do," she replied, meeting his gaze. "So will you?"

Booth chuckled softly, "Of course I will, Bones," he said, pulling her into a kiss. When they pulled away, he placed his forehead against hers. "You surprise me, you know," he murmured, "Which is one of the reasons why I love you."

Temperance smiled at him and went to kiss him again, but was interrupted by a squall from beside the bed. Booth laughed and moved to pick up Ruth, "And of course, I love you too," he said to the baby girl, rocking her gently as he moved to regain his position next to his now fiancée. Temperance placed her head on his shoulder and gazed down at her daughter, and the three of them made the perfect picture of a perfect family.

XxX

Awww look at how sappy the ending was. Sorry about that. The ring that I was describing was a claddagah. It's an Irish ring. I own one myself, but that was given to me by family. The hands mean friendship, the heart love, the crown loyalty. Worn on the right hand, crown towards the heart means heart is unoccupied, worn on the right hand crown facing out means love is being considered and worn on the left hand crown facing out it means heart is occupied/you're in love. Normally they're emeralds for the stone, but they can be other ones too.

**Next story: **that's not a one shot - Booth goes to Iraq and leaves behind for Bones two things - a puppy and a surprising new turn in her life. When he comes back, how will she take his return, and how will he react to the new developments in his life? Booth x Brennan fluff/romance. without too much angst...but a lotta fluff XD)

I'M GOING TO MISS YOU GUYS SO MUCH! Thanks for reading this story, I hope you enjoyed it!! I look forward to hearing your opinions about the final installment.

**Ponies: **I wish I could go horseback riding...haha. Glad you liked the chapter! And silly television :P Well maybe it's just rerun season? And as for the story...hmmn, no I've never considered it. I dont really know how I'd make that work though...but I'll keep it in mind! You should write it XD Anyway, glad you like my story so much, thanks for reading and reveiwing, as always

**IheartBooth: **Thanks I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for read/reviewing.

**Jen: **Haha, well now is now for me but not now for you. Hope you liked it despite the not updating nowness. Thanks for read/reviewing.


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